Part 19,  CoRTN

"There they are again," said Nina.

Helen, who was driving, turned to look where Nina was pointing, and after a moment returned her attention to the road.  They were on their way to work, and while riding, Nina had spotted a crowd.  In the middle was a pickup truck loaded with flowers, and Nina glimpsed, among the men surrounding it, a couple of nude figures.

"Why do they do that?" Nina said as they drove on.

"What, sell flowers?" said Helen.  It was the day after the unveiling, and Helen was still feeling her drunk, or the results of it.  She had thought she had been done with alcohol after her disgraceful display at the restaurant a few weeks before, but after the unveiling Helen had felt the need to hit the sauce.  She had woken up hours later in her own bed, totally unwrapped from the silk sarong she had been given to wear, feeling nauseous and rather fuzzy headed.  She still wasn't sure how she had gotten there, and the uncertainty worried her.  That, and the headache, contributed to her having a bit of a short temper this morning.  Well...that wasn't the only reason.  She tried not to look at Nina, for some reason not wanting to.

"No, Silly," Nina said.  "Why are they out there naked?"

"I told you, it's a religious thing," Helen replied smartly.

Nina thought it was pretty stupid.  What kind of religion made you walk around naked?  She tried once more to make out the sign in front of the truck, but again was unsuccessful.  They continued on.

Parking in the employee lot, Nina and Helen made the journey to the office they shared in silence.  Nina knew Helen was hung over; her friend had been in a terrible state the night before when she and Jim had found her.  Nina wondered if Brian's edict that Helen strip for him at certain times had caused her to start drinking.  This puzzled Nina, because Brian Cook had hardly called Helen on her "Rent" at all during her stay.  In fact, by Nina's figuring, Helen still owed about sixteen hours of nudity to Brian.

Still, whatever the cause, it took both Jim and Nina to get the near unconscious girl up to her guest room, and Jim was kind enough to slip away while Nina made Helen more comfortable for sleeping.

Nina hadn't mentioned it on the drive over, and neither had Helen.  Nina figured Helen just wanted to forget the whole thing, which was fine by her.

Upon arrival at their office, Nina saw a note on her desk.  It was from Sarah Wickland, the Partner who had all but taken over Nina's time at the firm, even though all the paralegals were supposed to work for all the lawyers.  Nina knew that word had spread throughout the firm that Sarah had claimed her, so Nina was now rarely given work by anyone else.

Under normal circumstances, Nina would have been thrilled to be singled out by a lawyer like Sarah Wickland.  To be mentored and watched over by someone high in the profession was incredibly beneficial.  But Sarah was different.  Not only did Sarah know about Nina's unusual home situation, she also enjoyed placing Nina in a similar situation here at work.  It was rare when Nina got to spend any time in Sarah's private suite of offices with any clothes on.  It was expected of Nina to undress and stay nude while up there.  The only other people in the company that knew of this were Helen, who knew almost everything, and Sarah's creepy assistant, Franklin.

Looking at the note, Nina sighed.  She usually got an hour or two in the morning to do some work at her own desk, but it looked like that wasn't to be today.  It seemed to her that she only got to get dressed for the trip to and from work, and sometimes she wondered why she bothered.

"I have to go see Sarah," Nina said to Helen.

Helen waved a piece of paper in the air and smiled.  "Me too.  Come on, let's go."  Unlike Nina, Helen thought it amusing that Nina had to spend time upstairs working nude.

Franklin was at his desk in the outer office as usual, and smiled as the ladies entered.

"Hi, Nina," he said slowly, grinning like a sex starved maniac and making Nina shudder.

"Hello, Franklin," Nina replied, and she glanced over at the corner of the room.

There had been a change in the format recently that Nina wasn't too thrilled about.  Before, when she had to undress, she did so in Sarah's office, her clothes locked away in a closet.  But now, she had to undress here in the outer office in front of Franklin, who would then lock them in his own closet in the corner of the office.

Nina didn't like undressing for Franklin; the way he looked at her made her sick, and despite Sarah's comments that he was harmless, she didn't trust him much.  She also feared discovery by someone just walking in to the outer office to see Sarah.  Unlike the rest of her suite, the outer office was a public area.  So far, she had been lucky.

Franklin noted where Nina had looked.

"Yes, Nina.  You have to get undressed," he said with a grin.

Nina bit her lip and moved mechanically to the closet.  Opening the door gave her a little cover in case someone came in, and she always thought that if it came to it, she could just jump in and hide.  But it didn't give her cover from Franklin, who sat back in his chair to watch.

Helen moved to the other side of the room to watch also.  She was fascinated with the way Nina removed her clothes, seeing it every day at the house when she and Nina came home.  Nina usually started by kicking her shoes off, which she did this time.  Nina didn't wear pantyhose or stockings--she disliked them both--so her legs and feet were bare.  She took her jacket off and hung it up neatly, before reaching for the fastener of her skirt.  With a sidelong glance at Franklin, Nina unfastened the skirt and let it drop, stepping out of it without bending over.  She hung this up too.  Then she took a deep breath and undid the buttons of her blouse, removing it and hanging it up without looking around.

A blush began to creep slowly across her face and down her chest as she next undid her bra, and she held it to herself for a moment before removing it and placing it in the closet.

Her back was to Franklin; all that was left was her panties, and there was no easy way to take them off without further embarrassment.  So she just quickly pulled them down and stepped out of them, putting them on top of her bra.  She turned, crossing her arms in front of her breasts, and glared at Franklin.

He made a show of checking the phone on his desk.  "You can go through in just a minute, she's on the phone," he said.

Nina's glare grew stronger.  Franklin was always playing these games, getting the most out of his limited power over her.  Nina had once complained to Sarah, but Sarah waved it off.  "As long as he doesn't touch you or compromise your privacy, you'll have to put up with him," Nina was told.  So she was stuck with stripping for him pretty much every day.

Helen was sorry for her friend, but was glad that SHE didn't have to do this.  Sarah seemed focused on Nina for some reason, and Helen was glad to be out of the spotlight for the most part.  Helen did wonder what it was that made Nina do this for Sarah; she had no idea that Nina had agreed to endure these further humiliations in order to spare Helen.

Franklin got his hefty bulk out of his chair and walked over to the closet where Nina was standing.  "I'd better lock this so you don't lose anything," he said.

Nina shuddered and moved away from her only protection.  Standing naked in the middle of the office, she shared a sad look with Helen and wished for some cover.

Franklin returned to his desk, not quite passing within touching distance of Nina, which she almost never let happen, and looked at his phone again.  "She's done, you can go in now."

Without a word, Nina made for the door to the inner office and Helen followed.

"You're an asshole, Franklin," Helen told him as she passed.

Franklin just smiled and replied, "I still remember what YOU look like naked."

Helen flushed, from both embarrassment and anger, and entered the inner office.

Inside it looked like Sarah had been there a while already, despite the party the night before and the early hour.  She looked up, smiled at the two paralegals, and invited them to sit in front of her desk.

Nina actually relaxed coming into the office, showing how normal this abnormal experience was for her.  Compared to being out front with Franklin, being nude in here was a lot easier for Nina, and she almost didn't think about it anymore.

She and Helen took their seats, Nina feeling the grip of the upholstered leather against her bare skin.

"How are you both?" Sarah asked with a pleasant smile, "Did you enjoy the party last night?"

Both women nodded and mumbled the appropriate words.

"Well I did too.  Please pass on my thanks to Brian, Nina."

"Yes, Ma'am, I will," Nina replied.

"I have to tell you I was disappointed I didn't get that fine piece Brian did of you.  The statue would have looked good in here."  Sarah smiled and the younger women dutifully chuckled.  "By the way, I was surprised to see that it was young Jim Barb who bought it.  I didn't know you knew him."

Nina had been surprised too.  When she asked him where he got the money, he mumbled something about having a rich family and changed the subject.  She wondered where he was going to put it, something else he kept mum about.

"He's...er..." Nina said, knowing that Sarah expected a reply.  "We're...kinda dating."

Sarah raised her eyebrows.  "You and Jim Barb?  That's excellent, Sweety!  You two make a good couple."

"Do you know him, Ma'am?" Nina asked.

"I've met him, but I know his parents better.  They are clients of the firm, I believe.  OLD money."

Helen listened to this with interest.  She wanted to know more about Nina's relationship with Jim, but never got the chance to ask last night and didn't feel up to it this morning.  Maybe later.

Sarah sat up straight and looked both women in the eyes.  "To work!  I have a special job for you, Nina, a rather delicate one."

Nina groaned.  All these special jobs usually involved her either losing her clothes for some reason or her meeting the weirdest people, often both.  Her last special job involved a horse, three balloons, and a biker.  She wasn't going to forget that one in a hurry.

"I need you to serve some papers for me.  I've made the proper arrangements so it's legal; all you have to do is place them in his hand."

"Don't you have process servers who do that?" Nina asked, puzzled.

"Yes, but they can't reach this guy.  Maybe you can.  In fact, I know you can," Sarah replied.

"Why?" asked Nina.

Sarah picked up a pamphlet from her desk and handed it to Nina.  "Read," she said.

Nina unfolded it and began to read.

"This has to be a joke," she said after a few minutes.

"Sorry, no.  They won their religious charter a while back, and it's a legal religion in this State," Sarah said.

Helen reached for the pamphlet.  "Can I see?"

Nina handed it to her.  "Is this the church you were talking about?"

Helen saw the name and nodded.  Then she read the rest of it.

-----

"CoRTN:  Church of Redemption Through Nudity.
Founder and Chief Pastor, Roy Jones.

A brief guide.

Introduction
============

It is felt that only through the denial of self that true enlightenment is achieved.  CoRTN is a manifestation of that belief.

CoRTN has created this short document to act as a guide through the specific beliefs of CoRTN and more importantly to map out the path that the true devotee must travel.

There are 7 stages of enlightenment grouped into 4 levels.

Stage   Level           Description
-----   -----           -----------

1.      Probation       Denial of clothing
2.                      Denial of Modesty
3.      Novitiate       Denial of Privacy
4.                      Encouraging Display
5.      Supplication    Encouraging Interaction
6.                      Encouraging Intimacy
7.      Enlightenment   Denial of Self

All stages will include the restrictions, prohibitions, and prescribed activities of all of the preceding stages.

Probation
=========

At this level, the devotee is just starting the journey.  CoRTN is aware of the deeply ingrained attitudes of the devotee and the community within which she will be living and therefore the initial stages are wholly concerned with appearance.

Also at this level the devotee will be attempting to maintain an education or a home. These activities are not to be hindered by the adoption of the stages within this level

1) Denial of Clothing

The devotee shall forswear all clothing in perpetuity and will not attempt to use towels or bed clothes, where they are available, as temporary covering.  As far as possible, devotees at this level will attempt not to use either bedclothes or towels as the devotee becomes accustomed to her nude state.

2) Denial of Modesty

The devotee shall forswear all modest behavior in perpetuity.  The devotee is proud of her body and is determined to share her joy in it with the rest of the world.

CoRTN has devised some guidelines to which the devotee must adhere to demonstrate the attainment of this level.

a) Removal of all body hair below the neck.
b) Knees to be held apart by at least 12 inches whether standing or seated.
c) Unless otherwise occupied, hands to be held clasped together behind the devotee's back.

Novitiate
=========

At this level, the devotee is becoming aware of the deep changes in mental attitude that CoRTN requires.  This and subsequent levels involve changes and behavior that may be shocking to those not aware of the philosophical basis of this religion.

As with the probationary level, the adoptions of the stages within this level will not hinder the day-to-day activities of the devotee.

3) Denial of Privacy

The devotee shall forswear the right to privacy.  The devotee feels that there is no action that a human being can undertake that should be hidden.  Actions that are felt necessary to be hidden are actions that should not be undertaken at all.  The devotee feels that all bodily functions and activities should be joyfully exposed to public view.

In practical terms, this means that the devotee will not allow herself to be in a room alone, unless the room is otherwise a public room.  If it is unavoidable that the devotee is to be in a private room, attempts should be made to ensure that public access is possible at all times, e.g. by removing all doors and window coverings.  Activities that would normally take place between two people would require a witness or should take place in an otherwise public place.

4) Encouraging Display

The devotee shall encourage the enjoyment of the sight of her body by whomsoever desires it.  She will joyfully and with enthusiasm accede to any request of those that wish to see her, with no reservation whatsoever.

The devotee shall accede to all requests, unless otherwise engaged in activities essential to her daily life.

Supplication
============

The devotee is well on the road to enlightenment.  However, the sense of self that is the bane of all human life has still to be addressed.  At this level, the devotee is to start down the road that eventually leads to full enlightenment.

As with the preceding two levels, the adoption of the stages within this level will not hinder the day-to-day activities of the devotee.

5) Encouraging Interaction

The devotee shall encourage the enjoyment of the feel of her body by whomsoever desires it.  She will joyfully and with enthusiasm accede to any request of those that wish to feel her, with the sole reservation that such touching will involve the hands only.

The devotee shall accede to all requests unless otherwise engaged in activities essential to her daily life.

6) Encouraging Intimacy

The devotee shall encourage the enjoyment of her body by whomsoever desires it.  She will joyfully and with enthusiasm accede to any request by those that wish to enjoy her, with no reservations beyond those of time and practicality.

The devotee shall accede to all requests unless otherwise engaged in activities essential to her daily life.

Enlightenment
=============

The devotee has reached enlightenment; she has no thought of her selfhood, she has only one wish: To perform any service or activity that is requested of her.  Her day-to-day life is at an end, and her continued existence is dependent solely on the goodwill of others, in the manner of the "flowers of the field".

7) Denial of Self

The devotee shall demonstrate her denial of self by joyfully and with enthusiasm acceding to any request for the enjoyment of her body by whomsoever requests it with no reservations whatsoever.

She will at all times be available for such requests; she must take no independent action whatsoever. All activities of any nature whatever must be undertaken solely at the direct request of another.

The CoRTN has established guidelines to which the devotee must adhere to demonstrate that she has attained enlightenment:

a) Certain decorative piercings shall be placed upon the body of the devotee.
b) The devotee shall have a mark placed upon her so all know of her enlightenment.
c) The devotee will allow herself to be restrained by device or the will of another at any time.

----

As Helen read, Nina and Sarah continued to talk.

"They are a legal religion," Sarah continued, "but the State has limited their freedom of expression somewhat.  Right now, they are fighting a battle with the State over being allowed to practice their religion in the public eye.  It's all about nudity, you see, and the State doesn't want nude women walking the streets just anywhere.  So it said they could practice as much as they like, as long as they keep it behind closed doors."

"But we saw them selling flowers on the street," Nina said.

"I know.  The City grants them temporary license to be able to do that and attend some public functions.  Personally, I think they have a friend on the City Council, or they wouldn't be able to get away with it.

"Do they really think they can win?"

Sarah hesitated before answering.  "I think...they have a good shot.  There are a couple of states already where nudity for religious reasons has been allowed, although it is continually being challenged.  In fact, I might...well I hope to win a client who could soon be involved in just such a case."  Sarah reflected on the nude coed she had met on a recent trip, a young woman caught in a situation she couldn't easily get out of.  She didn't mention this to Nina.

Helen had finished reading, and put down the disgusting document.  "Is this case what we're going to be involved with?"

"No."  Sarah actually looked disappointed, and both the younger women thought that Sarah would have enjoyed working a case that would have allowed women to walk the streets nude.

"We have a different client," Sarah said.  "Clients, actually."  She handed Nina and Helen a couple of files, and told them of how several families were suing CoRTN for fraud, claiming that it was not a religion but a cult, and that their daughters were illegally entrapped by the church's leader, Roy Jones.  "In relinquishing all clothing, it seems that a lot of other worldly goods are relinquished also, right into the hands of Roy Jones."

"So it's a criminal case, then?" Helen asked.

"No, civil.  There isn't enough evidence to pursue a criminal charge yet, but I can take him to court on a civil suit, IF I can serve him."

Nina looked up from her file, a scared look on her face.  "You want me to go there, don't you.  You want me to go and join this group of crazies, get naked with them, follow these steps."

Sarah took a deep breath and sighed.  "Nina, it will just be for a day, maybe just a couple of hours.  You just need to get inside the compound and find Roy Jones.  Once you serve him, you can leave."

"No, I can't do this," Nina said.

"You have to.  Our clients are depending on getting him in court.  They are worried about their daughters."

"I can't.  I just can't," said Nina shaking her head.

Sarah frowned and after a minute turned to Helen.  "Well, I guess YOU'LL have to do it."

"What?" said Helen, sitting up.  "Oh no!"

"She can't!" Nina said.

"Well, someone will have to," said the Legallady.  "And if you won't do it, Nina, then it falls to Helen."

Helen turned deathly white.  "But...no..."

Nina winced.  She felt up against that hard place again.  She couldn't let Helen go; her friend wouldn't be able to do it.

"I..." she started to say.

"Yes, Nina?" Sarah said.

"I'll...do it."  Nina hung her head.

"I knew I could count on you," Sarah said with a smile.

Helen took her nude friend's hand.  "Thanks."

Nina sighed.  Then she looked up at Sarah.  "Wait a minute.  If I have to go in there nude, and can't take anything with me, how am I to take Roy Jones the papers I have to serve him?  I can't serve him verbally."

"No, you can't.  But I have a special set made up for you that you CAN take in with you.  They're unusual, but legal."  Sarah handed over to Nina a pink plastic tube.  It was smooth, with one end rounded, while the other had a screw off top.

Helen immediately grasped the significance of the size and shape of the object but it didn't hit Nina yet.

"What is this?" Nina said.

"Open the end, look inside," was Sarah's reply.

Nina did as she was told, and saw that packed tightly inside were several sheets of paper.  "I don't understand," she said, screwing the end back on, but then she got it.  "Oh no!" she said slowly.

"It's the only way, Nina," Sarah said.

"But I can't...what if they search me?"

"They won't search you.  You're going to be nude, so they can SEE you don't need to be searched, and they won't get THAT intimate with you."

"But.  This is so...big."

Sarah smiled.  "No bigger than average.  Don't tell me that Jim Barb hasn't...well, achieved full manhood yet."

Nina blushed fully, even her nipples rose and tinted a darker red.

"Stand up, see if it fits," Sarah ordered.

"What, here?"  Nina said, looking around.

"Of course!  It's just us ladies here; or would you prefer to go let Franklin help you?"

Nina glared at Sarah and bit back a sudden remark.  She silently got up and stood to one side of the desk.

With both Helen and Sarah watching closely, Nina carefully inserted the tube into her still somewhat bare pussy.  It was a good thing the tube had a natural slickness to it, or Nina wouldn't have been able to do it.  But she managed after a little effort to push most of the tube in.  It felt awful going in, very intrusive, and doing it under the watchful eye of both her boss and her friend didn't help.

"All the way, dear; it has to be hidden," Sarah said.

Nina trembled and resumed pushing until she felt her pussy lips close around the twist off end.  She felt an unnatural fullness that wasn't very pleasant.

"Now, how quickly can you extract it and pull the papers out?" Sarah asked.

Nina stared at her a moment before reaching between her legs again.  She pulled the tube out as fast as she dared, and was about to open the top when Sarah stopped her.  "Don't take the papers out right now, you'll never get them back in."

"I don't like this," Nina said.

"I know, dear.  But we sometimes have to do things we don't like in order to succeed.  Lawyers especially.  It's what's called duty.  Now put it back."

Nina did as she was told, and soon the tube was out of sight again.

"Can you walk around with it?" Sarah asked the nude girl and Nina dutifully strolled about the room.  Sarah had Nina stretch, stand, sit, crouch...basically go through a full range of motion test to see if the tube could be spotted.  Through all this, Helen just sat back and watched, enjoying the sight of her nude friend and immensely glad it wasn't HER.

"Okay, that'll work.  You might as well keep it in you so you can get used to it.  Now we have to figure out how to get you accepted by them and taken into the compound," Sarah said.

Helen held up her hand.  "I...er...have an idea about that."

"Yes, Helen, what is it?"  Sarah said, not expecting much.  What she heard changed her mind, while Nina just closed her eyes and wondered what she did to deserve this.
 
 

---***---
 
 

"I can't believe you thought of this," said Nina, hugging herself tightly in the passenger seat of Helen's car.  The two young women had stayed in Sarah Wickland's office for about an hour, going over what little Sarah knew about Roy Jones and his church, before Nina finally declared herself ready to go.  All Sarah gave her to wear was a coat and her shoes, telling her that she didn't need any more, considering where she was going.  The comment only served to make Nina more nervous, and she asked herself again why she had agreed to do this.  Nina felt used and humiliated, and she hadn't even started the job yet.

Right now, she sat, still in her coat, next to Helen as they watched the crowd of men surrounding the flower girls they had passed on the way to work earlier.  From where they were parked, they were now behind the makeshift stall, and more importantly, out of sight of the police car that kept a constant watch on the actions of the nude flower sellers.

Sarah had said that a police presence was one of the conditions of any off-campus activities concerning the church.  The official reason was so that no harm came to the nude devotees, but Sarah said that unofficially they were there to make sure that nothing but flowers were sold.

In any case, Nina had to avoid being seen by the cops until she had joined the flower sellers.  The devotees were licensed to be nude in public, but Nina wasn't.  She would only be covered, so to speak, if the devotees accepted her.

Helen's plan was for Nina to just walk up to them in the nude and say that she wanted to join the church.  Such a brazen, immodest action would no doubt show that Nina was serious.  Why else would she walk naked into a group of men?

Nina thought the idea crazy, but Sarah latched on to it, as Nina knew she would.

So now, Nina sat watching the crowd, not wanting to go out there, but resigned to doing so.  What else could she do?

"It seemed like a good idea to me," Helen replied.  "You have the papers?"

Nina clenched, feeling the hard cylinder inside her, caressing her like a lover, yet about as welcome down there as a case of the clap.  Blushing, she nodded.

"Then I guess it's time; they're going to be leaving soon," Helen said, looking at her friend.  Nina looked scared to her, and Helen could sympathize with that.  But Nina also looked flushed, excited, and Helen wondered what was going on in her head.  Just what DID motivate Nina?

Nina took a deep breath and pulled back the coat.  She had already kicked off the shoes; she had only needed them to get out of the building.  She started to shiver as soon as her skin was bared, despite the fact that the little car was like an oven about then.

"I'll be following," Helen said, trying to encourage her friend.  "I'll wait right outside the gate of the compound for you to come out.  You'll be fine!"

Nina nodded sharply, she didn't feel fine.  "I don't want to do this," she said.

"I know.  But I also know you CAN do this.  The hardest part is just this bit; it'll be easier once you're in the compound."

Nina tried a smile, but it looked faked.  She was surprised when Helen leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"For luck," Helen said with a smile.

Nina stared at Helen for a moment, very surprised, then smiled a rather more genuine smile.  "Thanks.  Well, here I go."  She opened the car door and, staying low, exited the car.

Helen watched Nina creep between the cars separating them from the flower stall, and when Nina felt she couldn't get closer without being seen, she stood up and began to walk openly.  She had covered most of the distance before Helen saw people reacting to her.  Some of the men turned and began to whistle their appreciation, nudging their fellows in order to point them at the new girl.  From the grins on their faces, Helen could see they were impressed, and Helen felt a pang of jealousy go though her.  Uncomfortable, she watched what happened.

Nina reached the outer ring of 'customers' and asked to be let through.  The crowd parted obediently for her, but only just enough to give her space to walk.  Nina was blushing furiously, avoiding the eyes of all of them and fighting strongly an urge to run back to Helen's car.  She was very conscious of the looks she was getting; the eyes on her tits, her ass, her mostly bare pussy.  She could feel their breaths as she made her way through the group, flickering against her bare skin, unwanted caresses.  On top of it all was the tube inside her, shifting as she walked, never letting her forget it was there.

She broke through the ring of people and came face to face with the devotees.  Two women, much the same age as she, were selling flowers.  Both were nude of course, and neither showed the embarrassment at their condition that Nina now showed.  Well, almost.  One, a little prettier than the other, had that "OHMYGOD" look that Nina knew so well, but it was only barely there, well hidden under a friendly smile.  Funnily enough, the two flower sellers didn't notice Nina right away; busy with customers, their attention was only drawn to what was behind them by the sudden silence of the crowd.  They turned and both showed their surprise.  Nina got a surprise herself.  Both the young women sported a tiny silver nose ring through their septum; the more comfortable looking one also had her nipples pierced.

"Hi," Nina said, giving them an embarrassed smile.

"Hi," said the prettier one, but the other one said, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"  There was no doubt in Nina's mind about who was in charge here.

"I'm Nina, and I...want to join you."

"Hey, Baby, you can join with me if you like!" said one of the guys beside her, and Nina began to blush once more as laughter flowed among the men.  The girl in charge glared at him, then looked back at Nina.

"Usually new devotees present themselves at the Shrine, not here on the street.  Are you having us on?" she asked suspiciously.

Nina opened her arms, displaying her nudity and hoping that the tube was still hidden from sight.  "Do I look like I'm having you on?"

"So you're naked, big deal.  Half the new girls that show up come like that.  They don't last a week.  How do I know you won't wash out like they do?"

"I'm serious about this," Nina lied.

The other girl moved forward.  "Don't worry about Dana, she's just giving you a hard time.  I'm Gail, and I'm happy to meet you."  She smiled and extended a hand.

The crowd parted again and a man in uniform pushed through, a man in a police uniform.  "What's going on here?" he said.  "Who's this?"

Gail looked to Dana, who sighed.  "It's okay, Frank; she's with us."

Officer Frank gave Nina a searching look over before speaking again.  "She wasn't here before.  I may have to take her in for indecent exposure!"  He licked his lips as he said that, his eyes never leaving Nina's body.  Nina felt afraid of him; he reminded her of Franklin.

"Sorry, Frank, she's one of ours," Dana said, moving between Nina and the cop.

"If she's one of yours, where's her ring?"

"She hasn't got one yet, Frank; she only just joined."

"I don't know about this, you're only licensed for two members to be out here, not three.  If she's one of yours, then you're violating your license.  If she isn't, then she's obviously out here for a cheap thrill and I'll have to take her in.  So which is it?"

Dana paused and turned to look at Nina, searching for that answer herself.  Everyone's attention was now upon the frightened girl, and Nina had never felt so exposed.  Then she caught Gail's eye.  Gail was standing in what Nina was to find out later as the 'neutral position'.  Her feet were apart a little more than shoulder width, and her hands clasped behind her.  This showed off her firm young body to full advantage, and Nina could see that the position made Gail a little embarrassed.  Gail inclined her head and shifted her arms, urging Nina to do something and Nina saw what she had to do.  Quickly, she assumed the same position, tightly holding her hands behind herself even though she would much rather have held them in front.

Dane looked at her for a moment, her own legs apart and then turned to the crowd.  "You're all witnesses here; did she ask to join CoRTN?"

The men murmured assent, fascinated by the showdown between the cop and the three naked chicks.

Dana turned once more to Officer Frank.  "You heard them, she's one of ours.  You going to bust her, and endanger her religious freedom?"

Frank's face darkened.  He was tempted to arrest Nina anyway; the pat down would have been nice.  But the Mayor had sent down news that any harassment of the people of CoRTN would not be looked at favorably.  He didn't want any of his legal attempts to have the church shut down ruined.

"Okay, then pack up your stuff.  You're done for the day," he said, able to do THAT much at least.

There was a groan from the crowd, but Dana smiled.  "We were done anyway, Frank.  Come on girls, let's load up."

Frank and most of the other men watched Dana, Gail, and Nina load the mostly empty flower baskets back into the bed of the pickup truck.  Nina figured these guys would have happily watched naked women doing anything, and thought them a rather pathetic bunch.

"How did you get here," Dana said to her, "did you drive?"

"A friend dropped me," Nina said.

Dana frowned.  "Like that?  No clothes at all?"

Nina nodded, very aware of her nudity.

"Are they still here?"

Nina shook her head.  She assumed Helen was still watching, but as much as she would have liked to, Nina couldn't go back to her.

"We're heading back to the shrine," Dana said, "Officer numb nuts back there is going to follow us to make sure we go there and no place else, so we can't take you home.  If you leave us now or before we enter the compound, then he's probably going to nail you for indecent exposure.  Come with us though, and you'll be initiated tonight into CoRTN.  Make sure you know which direction you want to go in, both will change your life."

Nina looked Dana right in the eye.  "I want to go with you."

Dana stared back a moment, and then nodded.  "Okay then."

All three rode up front in the truck.  Unlike other drives Nina had taken in the nude, this time she made the effort not to scrunch down and hide herself.  She sat upright between Gail and Dana in full view of oncoming traffic, while behind them cruised Officer Frank.  Nina closed her eyes from time to time, hoping they didn't drive by anyone who could recognize her, and she resisted the urge to look back to see if Helen was following them.  She also tried to remain as still and as tiny as possible, because she could feel the bare hips and shoulders of her two new acquaintances against HER bare shoulders and hips.  It only served to emphasis her nudity...THEIR nudity, and the tube inside didn't help matters.

She got rather puzzled though, as the drive went on.  Instead of heading out of town to some secluded valley where everyone could run around nude in peace, they drove through town and entered a light industrial area full of factories and storage companies.  They pulled to a gate in a high brick wall, and waited for a moment for someone inside to open it.  Over the gate was a sign.  "Church of Redemption Through Nudity".

"Is this it?" Nina asked, somewhat taken back by the crude environment.

"Yes, didn't you know?" Dana said from the driver's seat.

"No.  I'm...new in town."

Dana glanced at her curiously and drove through the now open gate.  Gail gave Nina a smile, somewhat tinged with relief.

Inside there was lots of room to park, and Nina saw a large, but low lying building surround by parking lot and grass.  At one end was a children's playground but no children were present.

Scattered here and there were women, all nude, doing various jobs such as gardening, painting, or just relaxing.  There were several robed figures among them as well, Nina was surprised to see.  One of them walked up to where Dana had parked the truck, and when he pulled back his hood, Nina resigned herself to being stared at by yet another man.

"Hi, Dana," he said.  "How did it go today?"

"The usual.  Here's the money."  Dana handed him a small metal cash box.

The man took it and looked at Nina.  "Hi, I'm Andrew.  I don't think we've met."

"You wouldn't have.  She came up to us at the lot and asked to join.  Frank made some noises, so I felt I had to bring her," Dana said.

Andrew raised his eyebrows in surprise.  "That's unusual.  Did you make her strip too?"

"No, that's how she came.  Her name is Nina."

"Wow!  Well hi, Nina.  Welcome to the shrine of the Church of Redemption Through Nudity!  Glad you could join us.  Why don't you step on out here so we can get a look at you."

Gail had gotten out her side of the truck and had joined a couple of other nude young women in unloading what was left of the stock.  So Nina gingerly slid out of her seat and walked around to where Andrew could take a look at her.

"My, you are a beauty," he said with a smile, making Nina blush.  "You say you want to join us?"

"Yes...yes, I do," Nina replied.

"Why?"

"I...believe, what you believe," she said.

Andrew raised an eyebrow and gave her another look over.  "Well, I can see from your tan that you spend a lot of time outside nude, so I doubt it's a problem for you.  But I get the impression you'd rather not be here."

Nina started to panic.  Were they going to ask her to leave?

"No...Please.  I DO want to be here.  I NEED to!"

"You need to, huh?"  Andrew sighed.  "Well, we'll see.  Gail!"

Gail padded over, her young face glowing.  "Yes, Andrew?"

"Gail, take Nina and show her around.  Explain to her what we are and who we are."

"But Dana could do that better, Andrew."

Andrew gave her a sharp look.  "I want you to do it.  You're still a first level; you can relate better."

"Yes, Andrew."  Gail took Nina's unresisting hand and led her away, leaving Dana and Andrew to talk about the newcomer.

They walked across the lot, the tarmac hot under their feet until they reached the grass, which felt a lot better to Nina.

"So, any questions?" Gail asked with a smile.

"Doesn't that come after the tour?" Nina said.

Gail laughed.  "Sure, but I bet you have a few now!"

That Nina did, but she didn't know how deep she wanted to know these people.  "Er...yeah."

"Well, go on!"

"How come...how come Andrew had clothes?  I see a few people here with robes, like monks.  I thought nudity was the religion."

"It is, but not for men.  Only women can aspire and achieve enlightenment by freeing their bodies and their minds."

"Only women?  You mean that only the men wear clothes?" Nina asked.

"Of course!  It's strange, I know, but men have such a different body image of themselves; that means the path to enlightenment is different for them."

"How different?" asked Nina.

"That's something you will learn as you pass through the stages.  Me, I'm just a first level, which you will be when you are initiated tonight.  It means I have sworn off all clothing, never to wear them again, and I can't use anything to cover myself.  I'm almost done working through the second stage, and when I have completed it, I'll be off probation and become a Novitiate."

"Yes, that's what I want, what I feel is right.  No more clothes, ever," Nina lied.

"I'm glad you said that.  It's such a wonderful feeling, isn't it?"  Gail smiled at her and Nina couldn't help smiling back.  To be honest, Nina knew that there were times when she found being nude to be intensely pleasurable.  But a lot of the time it was just humiliating.

She looked around at the strange building they were walking around.  "What is this place?  What did it used to be?"

"It used to be a school, but Roy bought it and turned it into CoRTN.  It's only temporary, though.  When he wins his court case, we'll finally be allowed to practice our religion in public, as it should be.  Then we can all live where we want.  The walls will come down."

"It won't bother you to walk around naked anywhere in town?" Nina asked.

"Of course not!  Modesty denies enlightenment; it stops you from feeling free and pure.  Purity through Nudity!"

Gail didn't look entirely convinced, though, and Nina suspected there was still a little modesty left in the girl.

"How long have you been here?" she asked.

"About four months.  I got out of isolation only a month ago, though, and it still feels good to get out."

"Isolation?" Nina said, feeling alarmed.

"Yes.  It's part of the initiation.  Tonight when you're initiated, you'll go through the ceremony of cleansing in which everything you brought is taken from you.  You will then be marked as a probationary devotee," she pointed at the ring in her nose, "by Roy, and then taken nude to isolation, where you will spend three months emptying your mind of all the clutter and morality that binds you and keeps you from being free."

"What?" Nina was really alarmed now.  "You mean they lock you up?"

"Just for three months.  It was hard, but I really do feel better for it now that I'm out.  Don't worry about it!"

Nina did.  She tried to change the subject a little.  "You said Roy, is that Roy Jones, the guy who runs this place?"

"Oh yeah.  Roy.  He's a special guy.  Really caring.  He spends a lot of time with the upper level devotees, helping them to enlightenment by relieving them of all their inhibitions.  Very dedicated.  We're lucky to have him."

Nina figured he would be dedicated, knowing that he could any of these women do anything he wanted them to do once he trained them up.  Nina felt quite disgusted.

"Can I meet him?  I'd like to see him before tonight," Nina said, knowing that as soon as she did she would be out of here.

"I don't think so.  He's in seclusion, working on a revision of our mantra.  Only the men, and the level 6 and 7 devotees can see him.  But he always comes to assembly."

"Assembly?"

"It's...sort of like our group prayer time.  It's when we show our devotion to CoRTN and our progress toward enlightenment."

Nina wondered if she wanted to know any more.  As they walked, Nina spotted one woman walking toward them on the path.  She walked slowly, her legs spread wider than normal, her hands held behind her.  On her face was a happy smile, and on her body were several piercings.  Her nose, nipples, clitoris, and labia were all pierced with rings, large rings.  But that wasn't all.  A silver chain passed through all these rings, connecting them together.  Nina shuddered.

"That's Cathy," Gail said in an almost reverential tone.  "She's a level 7, enlightened.  There's only her and Linda right now, but soon there will be more."

"She has a lot of...jewelry," said Nina.

"Yes, it's our badge of honor, how we show the levels we have achieved.  I just have the one ring; I'm level one.  Dana has three, so you know she's level three working on her fourth.  Cathy has six rings, and the chain linking them all is symbolic of the unity of her enlightenment, the coming together of all that she has learned."

While Nina listened to Gail prattle on about her so-called religion, she watched as one of the men walked up to Cathy and stopped her.  He immediately placed one hand on her bare mons and began rubbing, bending low to suckle on a nipple.  Through all this, Cathy just smiled and took it, never once commenting or showing any discomfort about being felt up in such a public place.  The man stood after a few minutes and took hold of her chain.  He began to walk, and Cathy hurried to follow, anxious not to be pulled too hard in those sensitive places.  The couple walked away from Nina and Gail, and when Cathy turned, Nina could see why her hands were behind her.  They were cuffed.

"What's with the handcuffs?" Nina asked.

Gail shrugged, but Nina could see a little worry in her eyes.  "I expect someone just wanted her hands cuffed.  A level 7 denies nothing, has total freedom."

Nina bit her lip, biting back a snide reply.

"Come on, let me show you the inside," Gail said.

Gail took Nina on a tour of the building.  It had been an elementary school at one point, and Nina saw evidence of that in the layout of the building.  The bigger classrooms had been turned into dorms, and Nina saw that there were no doors on these rooms.  Even the bathrooms had no doors, and inside, all the stalls had been taken out, exposing the fixtures.  Nina tried not to stare as women openly used the facilities in front of her, their piercings showing what level of 'enlightenment' they had achieved.

Dinner was served in the cafeteria of course, with everyone sitting at large tables, chatting with each other.  Nina just pushed her food around, nervous amongst all the exposed flesh even though she was exposing just as much as they were.  She was continually conscious of the tube inside her and wished that Roy Jones would put in an appearance so that she could serve those papers on him.

She didn't see Dana and Andrew sitting at another table together, watching her.

Gail stayed with her, endlessly talking about how good she had it here, how CoRTN had saved her life and gave meaning to it.  She spouted what sounded to Nina like corporate slogans, little sound bites of wisdom designed to entrap the listener into buying what Roy Jones was selling.  Nina wasn't buying, but it was hard to miss the sales pitch, so hard was it thrown.  All around the room, all around the building to be honest, were posters with little phrases on them.  "Purity through Nudity" being the most common.

Yet from what Nina could see, these people were happy.  None of the women looked like they were being victimized, abused, or degraded.  Even the ones that had open sexual contact while the meal was eaten acted like it was just a part of how things went now.  Nina saw no outrage.

After the meal, Gail announced it was assembly time, and she led Nina to the assembly hall.  This used to be the gym, and someone had built a sign for over the door.  "Nudity IS Purity!"

As they entered the room, Nina got an idea just how many people were involved with this religion.  Over 150 women, all nude and pierced to some degree, entered the room.  Another 30 or so men in robes also came in, standing against the walls as if herding the women into a corral.

On a stage at the front of the room was a podium, lit from above by a spotlight.  There was also a comfortable looking recliner sitting to one side, also lit up.

Once everyone was in, a robed figure came in from behind the stage and mounted it.  He tossed back his hood and stood behind the podium, smiling.

"That's Roy," whispered Gail.

Nina nodded and was about to press through the crowd when Roy spoke up.  "Hi everyone; please be seated!"

All the women began to sit on the cold wooden floor and Nina was pulled down gently by Gail.  Nina dropped to a kneeling position, one that modestly gave her the best coverage, but to a woman everyone else sat directly on the hard floor and crossed their legs.  Gail made a face at Nina, and with a sigh, Nina complied.  Sitting naked and cross-legged, Nina felt doubly exposed.  Her knees were so wide apart that her pussy was clearly visible to the entire room.  That was the purpose, Nina figured.  Purity through nudity...yay!

Looking down, she could see that this position caused her labia to part; the tube she carried was now visible.  Hoping no one would see, Nina reached down and tried to push it further in.

"Wow," said Gail next to her, "you're really into this, that's great.  I'm still trying to work up the courage to openly masturbate."

"What?" Nina said, blushing at being seen.

Gail gestured about the room and Nina became conscious for the first time of many of the women rubbing themselves.  It appeared to be normal, for no one was looking in disapproval at anyone who was doing it.  In fact, Nina got a few encouraging smiles from the women around her.

Nina paled and almost pulled her hand away.  But the tube was threatening to pop right out of her unless Nina kept pushing it back.  So she sat there blushing furiously, knowing how she looked and not able to do anything about it.

Roy Jones began talking, spouting much of what Gail had been saying at dinner.  Stuff about how clothes hid women and forced roles on them.  How women who wore clothes were way too absorbed by fashion and how it looked to be open to freeing their minds and their bodies.  How only through nudity, with all of their possessions gone, all their inhibitions wiped away, was it possible to be free.

Nina listened and wondered if she ought to just get up and make a run for it.  She could easily skip past the women in front of her to make it to Roy's side.  Then all she had to do was pull the tube out and hand him the papers rolled tightly inside.  But Nina couldn't move.

Roy finished his sermon and then started calling for the devotees to show their "devotion."

Immediately, the level 1 girls, Gail included, stood up.  Nina watched as Gail and the others stood with their arms out away from their bodies.  They turned slowly in a full circle while chanting "I forswear all that can cover me, all that can hide me from the truth, all that can come between me and enlightenment.  Purity through Nudity!"

They sat down and the level two girls stood and did the same thing.  Their chant was "I forswear my modesty, I am not ashamed of my body, I am proud that it can be seen by all.  Purity through Nudity!"

Dana stood up with the level 3 women, of which there were fewer but still a significant number.  "I forswear my privacy, my right to be hidden.  No more will I hide or be permitted to hide, anything I do.  Purity through Nudity!"

Level 4 stood up and stood like the others had.  "I encourage all to look at me, to take in my beauty, to see my freedom.  Purity through Nudity!"

Then came level 5.  Unlike the previous levels, these women did not stand arms wide.  Instead, their left hands rubbed their bare pussies while their right hands pinched nipples.  "I forswear my right not to be touched.  I encourage any and all to hold me and caress me so that I may know the intimacy of exposure and the freedom it gives.  Purity through Nudity!"

Level 6 carried it further when their turn came.  They didn't just rub, they penetrated, and it wasn't themselves they penetrated, but other members of their level.  "I encourage all to use me, to take my body and free my mind.  I cherish the freedom it brings to be one with another.  Purity through Nudity!"

Then, only two stood up.  One of them Nina recognized to be Cathy, the other had to be Linda.  They stood together at the front and turned to the room.  "This girl forswears herself, her petty ego, her puny pride, her insignificant identity.  This girl revels in the freedom of total obedience, of never needing to think, just be.  Redemption through Nudity!"

Cathy and Linda remained standing and a hush fell over the crowd.  Nina stared in spite of herself, feeling sick at what she had just seen but unable to look away.  She watched as Roy walked between the two women and gave them a kiss each before sending them to two of the other men.  Each of those men turned the women around and proceeded to fuck them right there.

Nina closed her eyes.

Roy took the podium again and continued his sermon, talking about how proud he was of all of them.  While he talked, Cathy and Linda were passed from man to man, being fucked by each of them in turn.  The ones who were already done walked out among the women, and each found a Level 6 to fondle.  One or two of them had sex as well.

Nina sat still, unable to believe what she was seeing, but the heavy scent of feminine musk was in the air and hard to deny.  What made it worse for her was, despite her disgust at how mindless these women were becoming, she was physically reacting to the erotic atmosphere.  She was sure that it was partially the fault of the tube in her pussy, its presence already arousing her to some base degree.  But the lustful moans and the smell were affecting her as well.

She wasn't the only one.  She could see many of the lower level women gazing enviously at the sexual goings on.

She was startled when she heard her name.

"Nina?  Can you hear me?" said Roy from the stage.

"What?...Oh yes!" Nina said, blushing as she was singled out.

Roy smiled.  "I can see that the atmosphere of this place has already captured you.  Welcome to the shrine.  It is time for your initiation into our church.  Are you ready?"

Nina wanted to bolt, to run from here as fast as she could.  But to do so was to waste all that she had gone through to reach this point.  So she nodded and stood.  A couple of the men came over to her and led her over to the stage.  They stood her next to Roy and moved away.

'Now,' Nina thought, 'do it now!'

After giving the nude Nina a look over so deep that she blushed as fully as she had ever done before, Roy turned to his flock and began to speak of the joys of initiation.  This was the opening Nina needed and she reached down for the tube.  Unfortunately, while it had been practically popping into her hand while she sat, now that she was standing it had gone deep again.  Her face hot with shame as she dug into her pussy in front of all these people, Nina's slippery fingers tried to grasp the end of the tube and pull it free.

Roy noticed her penetrating herself, and made a joke to the crowd about her enthusiasm and how maybe she could skip a few levels.  People laughed and Nina managed a fake smile, but when she looked in Roy's eyes she saw a deep lust there she didn't want to face first hand.

Her fingers caught the end of the tube and she drew it out in one smooth motion.  The feel of it leaving her almost shocked her into orgasm, and she barely hung on.

Roy had turned back to the crowd so he didn't see the extraction and didn't see Nina fighting with the slippery lid.  Others did though, and the two men that had brought Nina on stage moved hesitantly toward her.  They weren't in time though, for Nina popped the top off and pulled out the papers inside.  One quick shake and they were unfolded and Nina handed them out to Roy, who took them automatically.

"ROY JONES," Nina said loudly,  "YOU HAVE BEEN SERVED!"
 
 

---***---
 
 

It was dark outside now, the assembly, and Roy's speeches having taken a lot of time.

A gate opened in a brick wall, and from inside could be heard a female voice.  "Stop it!  Let me go!  You CAN'T just throw me out; I'm naked!  PLEASE!  At least give me something to wear!"  Two men appeared with a struggling woman between them.  They propelled her past the gate and hurried back, closing it after them.  Nina West, the propelled woman, ran back to the gate but it was locked.  "Damn it!" she swore.  Then she crouched down and looked around, fearful of who could see her in her nudity.  There was no cover to be had, the wall stretching away on both sides of her, but it didn't matter, Nina didn't see a soul.

Trembling, she remained crouched.  She didn't want to move, scared that to move meant to be seen.  But she knew she couldn't stay there.  Then she remembered that Helen was supposed to be waiting for her and she looked around for the familiar car.  But Helen was nowhere to be seen.  The street was deserted.

Nina wished she knew what time it was, but of course, she had no watch.  She knew that she was in an unknown part of town with absolutely nothing to her name.  No wonder she was scared.  At least Roy Jones hadn't done anything to her.  After looking at the papers, he just ordered her tossed out, a scowl on his face.  Even young Gail had looked at her angrily.

Nina sighed.  She didn't know what to do.  Should she wait here naked on the street in case Helen showed up, or go find some cover somewhere?  Nina wondered if she would have to make her own way home and shuddered.  At the very least, she had to find a phone.

She got up and nervously began padding down the sidewalk.  She kept looking around, waiting for someone to see her.  She felt very vulnerable out there naked and alone, and hoped she could stay safe.  She thought about whom she could call, Helen, Brian...Jim.  At the thought of Jim, Nina smiled.  'HE would probably get a kick out of this, me walking through an industrial park, naked,' Nina thought.

She hoped to find a phone, but that was proving to be difficult.  She left the shrine behind and began making her way along the different streets, ducking from cover to cover.  Once in a while, a car would drive by and Nina would hide.  She looked at the car carefully though, in case it was Helen, and was ready to jump up in a second if it was, but no luck.  She got a shock at one point when a patrol car drove by.  Nina hesitated, thinking maybe that being picked up by the police might not be so bad, but then wondered if it was that cop from earlier in the day.  Nina had no wish being under THAT man's power, so she stayed hidden.  She saw the patrol car a couple more times as she snuck around, but she had no idea where she was going or what direction to take.

Then her luck changed.  A phone booth, next to what looked like a city bus stop.  Both were empty of course, and Nina figured it must be late, but the phone booth was one of those glass ones and well lighted.  To use it, Nina would have to step inside in full view of any cars that drove by.

Nina crouched behind a trashcan for a moment, thinking of what to do.  She decided she had no choice.  She ran across the road and entered the phone booth.  Of course she had no money on her, she hoped she could make a collect call.

She tried to think of Brian's number, but her mind went blank, so she dialed the operator and tried to place a call through to Helen.  While she waited, she kept an eye on the road and knew that if a car came around a nearby corner, she would have no chance of hiding.  There was no cover nearby.

She could hear the phone ringing at the other end, and Nina wondered where Helen WAS!  Nina was rather pissed at her friend right now, the day catching up with her.  Helen should have been there!

"I'm sorry, there is no answer," said the operator, so Nina had her dial Jim's number.

As the phone started ringing, Nina's fear came true.  Around the corner drove a car, and for a few seconds Nina's nude body was completely lit up by its headlights.

"Hello?" said a male voice on the phone.

"Will you accept a collect call from...Nina West?" asked the operator.  Nina watched the car drive by and slow down.

"Sure," said the voice.

"Jim?  Is that you?" Nina said quickly, watching the car.

"Sure is, I'm on the cordless.  What's up?"

The car stopped and sat, its brake lights lit up.

"Jim, I'm in trouble, I need help!"

"What is it, Nina?  What's going on?" Jim asked, concern in his voice.

"I can't explain now.  Just come to..."  Nina looked around, spotted the name of a business on the side of a building, and told him.  "And hurry!  I'm naked and lost!"

"Are you and Kelly playing some sort of game?" chuckled Jim.

The car started to back up.

"No, this is serious.  I'm in trouble.  PLEASE come quick!  There's a car here; they've seen me.  I have to go!"

"Nina wait!  What's going..."

Nina hung up on him and struggled with the door to the phone booth.  It opened and she darted out just as the car pulled along side.  She ran as fast as she could for the building she had named for Jim.

"Hey, Lady!" called out a voice from the car, "Where ya going, beautiful?"

Helen stepped up her speed and was suddenly backlit.  The car had swung into the driveway she was running on and was following her.

Panicked, Nina changed direction.  There were a few trees, some landscaping for the front of the building.  She hoped she could make it.

What saved her was the car stopping, its driver wondering if he should jump the curb while his passenger urged him to.  In the end, he did so, but his hesitation cost him as Nina made it to the trees.

Breathing heavily but evenly, the nude and now sweating girl ran through the small grove, emerging on the other side next to the building.  She didn't stop, determined to put as much distance as she could between herself and the car, and continued to run.  Around a corner she went and onwards.

The car had to drive around the trees, and by the time they did so, their lights only barely caught Nina's bare ass as she rounded the corner.

"That way," said the passenger.

Nina continued to run, one arm now across her chest as her bouncing breasts were becoming painful, her feet hurting from hitting hard concrete.  But she didn't stop and continued to run around the building.  She didn't want to get too far from it, for this was where Jim was coming to save her.

It wasn't until she had run all the way around that Nina saw the car again.  She had just reached the trees once more, and she saw it on the other side of them, doubling back.

"Shit!" she said breathlessly and she stopped running.  She looked wildly around for a place to hide and saw only the trees, which were too far apart on the manicured lawn to provide much cover.  But there was another option.

She looked up, and with a mental shrug, she ran for the nearest tree.

Nina was twenty feet above the ground by the time the car drove by.  She froze, hugging the trunk and thinking invisible thoughts, aware of the rough bark against her bare breasts and stomach.  She looked down and didn't move as the car stopped and waited.

It seemed to stay for a long time before driving off.  In fact, it circled the building a few times, and every time Nina figured it had gone it came back.

She was tired, thirsty, and getting cold, and only wanted to go home.  But as she waited, she found that her fear had turned to something else, excitement.  Yes, she was still scared of being found, but as she had time to think about it, she discovered the fear was much like the kind you get riding a big roller coaster for the first time.  Nina was surprised at herself, and wondered what it meant.

She saw lights down below and saw a car pull in.  At first, she thought it was her tormentors again, but then recognized it as Jim's.  She scrambled down the tree as fast as she could while not scraping herself up, and made a mad run for the car.

Jim was just about to drive off looking for her when he saw her coming.  He got out of the car and stared in amazement at the beautiful nude woman running toward him, and felt his own arousal rise.  In seconds she was upon him and hugging him tightly, sobbing a little.

"Oh Jim, I'm glad it's you!" she said.

"What's going on, Nina, what are you doing way out here?"

"Let's go, I'll tell you on the way.  Please?"

Jim nodded and he and Nina climbed back in the car.

Nina felt the tension and the strange excitement of the moment leave her as she explained her day.  She didn't mention her excitement to Jim, she wanted to figure it out for herself, but she was safe at last.

The naked girl hugged Jim all the way home.
 
 
 
 

End of Part 19.